Container hold-down locking means

ABSTRACT

A chassis-to-container locking arrangement which includes a housing defined by the lateral end extension of the chassis cross member. The housing includes an inverted U-shaped cam slot in its rear end face and a vertically extending coupling pin protruding upwardly out of the housing and rotatable and vertically reciprocally movable by a handle attached thereto and extending outwardly of said slot. The slot is so contoured to assure confinement of the handle in the locked position and also provides for guiding of the handle in the locked and unlocked positions.

United States atent n 1 Carr 1 1 Feb. 20, 1973 I CONTAINER HOLD-DOWN LOCKING MEANS [75] Inventor: George W. Carr, Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 98,343

52 us. c1 ..296/35A,74/527,74/567, 105/366 B, 248/361 R [51] 1nt.Cl. ..B65j 1/22 [58] Field of Search ....296/35 A; 280/179 R, DIG. 8; 105/366 R, 366 B, 366 C, 366 E; 248/119 R, 361 R; 24/211 R; 74/89, 527, 567

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,507,226 4/1970 Nadherny ..105/366 B 3,444,824 5/1969 Gutridge ..105/366 D 1,197,917 9/1916 Dawson et a1.. ..74/537 X 2,963,310 12/1960 Abolins ...l05/366 B X 3,389,663 6/1968 Gutridge ..105/366 B 3,521,845 7/1970 Sweda et al ..248/1 19 R 7/1971 Gunther ..24/221R 10/1971 Arnold ..248/361R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary ExaminerLeo Friaglia Assistant Examiner-Leslie J. Paperner Attorney-Hilmond O. Vogel and Richard J. Myers ABSTRACT A chassis-to-container locking arrangement which includes a housing defined by the lateral end extension of the chassis cross member. The housing includes an inverted U-shaped cam slot in its rear end face and a vertically extending coupling pin protruding upwardly out of the housing and rotatable and vertically reciprocally movable by a handle attached thereto and extending outwardly of said slot. The slot is so contoured to assure confinement of the handle in the locked position and also provides for guiding of the handle in the locked and unlocked positions.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 4/1970 Great Britain ..296/35 A PATENTEDFB20 1975 3 7 17' 37 2 SHEET 2 or 2 F I G 0 5 I N VEN TOR GEORGE W. CARR ATTORNEY CONTAINER HOLD-DOWN LOCKING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of Invention This invention relates to a lock arrangement or body securing device for coupling of a removable container on the top of a transporting vehicle frame and deals with shipping supports or metallic receptacle compartments used with land vehicles.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known in the prior art to provide various types of coupling devices which tie a container down on a support such as a highway trailer chassis in order to prevent vertical movement of the container relative to the chassis. The problem has been to insure that the locking structure remains fixed in either its locked position or its unlocked position. Also it is desirable to provide for guide means which insure movement of the container locking means selectively toward the locked or unlocked positions. This is what is provided in the subject invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides for positive locking between the container and its support such as a trailer vehicle by providing for a vertically extending locking pin having a handle guided vertically and horizontally in a guide slot in the housing of the locking pin. In this arrangement to escape guide slot confinement the handle must move in vertical and horizontal planes. The frictional force in horizontal movement will act as a deterrent to accidental unlocking. Further, the handle in both locked and unlocked positions is within the perimeter of the chassis and container and is protected against damage. The contour of the slot assures confinement of the handle in both the locked and unlocked positions. These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from reference to the following description, appended claims and attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a trailer arrangement incorporating a removable container support on the container chassis;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the front of the lock arrangement housing at the left lateral end of the chassis cross member;

FIG. 4 is a side view thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings and in particular with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a trailer 1 ineluding a chassis 2 supporting a removable container 3 thereon. The container is coupled to the chassis by a front pair of chassis-to-container locking means 4 and a rear pair of chassis-to-container hold-down locking means 5. The-locking means 4 provide for horizontally extendable coupling with the container and the locking means 5 provide for vertically extending coupling with the container. The chassis incorporates a main frame 6 including longitudinal members 7 and end cross members 8. The kingpin 9 depends from the forward end of the chassis, and rearwardly thereof the landing gear 10 and then the suspension system 11 and wheel 12 are located. The container 3 is provided with a top 13, sides 14, end walls 15, a bottom 16 and bottom corner castings 17 each having an end opening 18 and a bottom opening 19.

Attention is now to be directed to FIGS. 3-5 where it is seen that the locking means 5 include the rear end cross member 8 which is provided with lateral end extension portions 20 on each side of the trailer. Each lateral end extension portion 20 includes a top plate portion 21 and a bottom plate portion 22, a rear end plate portion 23, and a front end plate portion 24 and a lateral or side plate 25. The lateral or side plate 25 includes an upper recessed vertical side plate portion 26 on which outside surface thereof is mounted the marker light and reflector 26a and a lower outwardly downwardly sloping side plate portion 27. The top plate is provided with an opening 28 for the locking pin 31. The opening 28 is surrounded by the shear block 29 welded by w to the top plate and is provided with a shear block bore 30 through which the locking pin 31 extends. The locking pin includes an elongated conical shaped head 32 provided with a collar 32a for resting on the shear block and lateral elongated extensions 33. The locking pin 31 is further provided with a shaft 34 and a handle 35 extending outwardly from the shaft. The handle 35 includes the handle yoke 36 pivotally attached to the shaft 34 and a handle shaft or end part 36a. The front face plate portion 24 is provided with a cam portion 37 defining a cam slot 38 through which the handle 35 extends in an outwardly direction. The cam slot is a somewhat generally inverted U-shaped opening being provided with vertical but to right (See FIG. 3) slot portion 38a, horizontal slot portion 38b and vertical slot portion 380. The cam slot 38 defines the cam means 39 which includes the cam surface or edges 39a, 39b, 39c, 39d, 39e, 33f, and 39g (See FIG. 3). The book or cam surface or edge 39b prevents accidental movement (or opening) of the handle from the locked position (See the lower left-hand side dotted line view of the handle) on a bumpy road. The contour portion or cam edge 39c assures the confinement of the handle in a locked position. The slant portion or edge 39d is provided for guiding of the handle into the locking position. The slant surface or edge 39e provides a bouncing wall to force the handle back down to its locking position, and the slant portion or cam edge 39f has the same function as the edge 39e. In case the handle should be left half closed, the handle will have the tendency to slide down the slant portion or edge 39g toward the locked position (right, as seen in FIG. 3). Positiveness of this locking system is assured by the force of gravity on the handle and the complexity of the path of movement of the handle at the time of bouncing. To escape slot confinement in the cam slot 38, the

I handle 35 must move simultaneously in vertical and horizontal planes. The frictional force in horizontal movement will act as an additional deterrent to accidental unlocking. The spring 40 is provided as an additional safety factor and has a spring end 41 attached to the handle and a spring end 42 attached to the bottom of the housing.

The locking pin in the locked position of the handle (see FIG. 3, left side) has the conical extension 32 above the inside surface of the bottom 16 of the container corner casting 17, the pin extending through the bottom corner casting opening 19 to provide for vertical locking of the container to the chassis and also to prevent horizontal shifting of the container.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A coupler device for attaching a container corner casting to the chassis of a highway trailer comprising:

a container locking housing,

said housing including a top plate having an aperture for receiving a container locking pin therethrough,

a vertically extending locking pin being mounted within the housing for vertical reciprocal motion having an enlarged head portion extending outwardly'from the aperture,

handle means within the housing and having pivot means within the housing pivotally connecting the locking pin, the pivot means and the enlarged head portion preventing removal of the locking pin from the housing,

said housing including a vertical end plate portion having a cam portion,

said cam portion including a cam slot and said handle means having a handle portion extending laterally out of the slot,

said slot being of inverse generally U-shaped configuration on said vertical end plate portion and having a first generally vertical aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means and a horizontal aperture portion above and connecting with the first vertical portion for reciprocal rotational movement of the locking pin and a second generally vertical aperture portion below and connecting with the horizontal aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means, the first and second vertical aperture portions and the horizontal aperture portion defining said slot, the outer end of the handle portion engaging the bottom of the first vertical aperture portion maintaining the locking pin in a retracted unlocked position, and the outer end of the handle portion alternately engaging the bottom of the second vertical portion maintaining the locking pin in an extended locked position, the bottom of each slot vertical aperture portion being below said pivot means and biasing means connecting with the housing and the handle portion outwardly of the pivot means in selectively urging the handle portion into the bottom one of the two vertical aperture portions of the cam slot.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said cam portion defining the first vertical aperture portion having a guide edge sloped upwardly toward said horizontal aperture portion and providing for reciprocal vertical guiding movement of the locking pin away from and toward the locked position.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said cam portion defining said horizontal aperture portion having a cam edge sloped downwardly away from said first vertical aperture portion toward said second vertical aperture portion enabling the hand portion to slide toward the second vertical portion and into the locked posi tion.

4. The invention according to claim 1, and

said cam portion having a slant edge on the outer portion of the second vertical aperture portion, said slant edge sloping down and toward said first vertical aperture portion and providing for guiding of the handle means into the locking position, said slant edge being spaced above the bottom of said second vertical aperture portion.

- 5. The invention according to claim 1 and said cam portion having an outwardly downwardly sloped edge at the end of the horizontal aperture portion adjacent the second vertical aperture portion and providing a bouncing wall to force the handle means back down to the locking position of the locking pin.

6. The invention according to claim 1, and

said cam portion between the horizontal aperture portion and the second vertical aperture portion defining a cam projection portion having an under surface edge in the second vertical aperture portion to prevent accidental unlocking of the locking pin.

7. The invention according to claim 6, and

said cam portion having a generally vertical outer contour edge in the lower outer part of the second vertical aperture portion adjacent the bottom thereof to assure confinement of the handle means in the locked position.

8. The invention according to claim 6, and

said cam edge projection portion having a downwardly'outwardly sloped bounce edge to provide a bouncing wall to force the handle means back down to the locking position of the locking pin.

9. A coupler device for attaching a container corner casting to the chassis of a highway trailer comprising:

a container locking housing,

said housing including a top plate having an aperture for receiving a container locking pin therethrough,

a vertically extending locking pin being mounted within the housing for vertical reciprocal motion having an enlarged head portion extending outwardly from the aperture,

handle means within the housing and having pivot means within the housing pivotally connecting the locking pin, the pivot means and the enlarged head portion preventing removal of the locking pin from the housing,

said housing including a vertical end plate portion having a cam portion,

said cam portion including a cam slot and said handle means having a handle portion extending laterally out of the slot,

said slot being of inverse generally U-shaped configuration on said vertical end plate portion and having a first generally vertical aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means and a horizontal aperture portion above and connecting with the first vertical portion for reciprocal rotational movement of the locking pin and a second generally vertical aperture portion below and connecting with the horizontal aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the bandle means, the first and second vertical aperture portions and the horizontal aperture portion defining said slot, the outer end of the handle portion engaging the bottom of the first vertical aperture portion maintaining the locking pin in a retracted unlocked position, and'the outer end of the handle portion alternately engaging the bottom of the second vertical portion maintaining the locking pin in an extended locked position, the bottom of each slot vertical aperture portion being below said pivot means,

said cam portion defining the first vertical aperture portion having a guide edge sloped upwardly toward said horizontal aperture portion and said second vertical aperture portion and providing for reciprocal vertical guiding movement of the locking pin away from and toward the locked position.

10. The invention according to claim 9, and

said cam portion defining said horizontal aperture portion having a cam edge sloped downwardly away from said first vertical aperture portion toward said second vertical aperture portion enabling the hand portion to slide toward the second vertical portion and into the locked position. 

1. A coupler device for attaching a container corner casting to the chassis of a highway trailer comprising: a container locking housing, said housing including a top plate having an aperture for receiving a container locking pin therethrough, a vertically extending locking pin being mounted within the housing for vertical reciprocal motion having an enlarged head portion extending outwardly from the aperture, handle means within the housing and having pivot means within the housing pivotally connecting the locking pin, the pivot means and the enlarged head portion preventing removal of the locking pin from the housing, said housing including a vertical end plate portion having a cam portion, said cam portion including a cam slot and said handle means having a handle portion extending laterally out of the slot, said slot being of inverse generally U-shaped configuration on said vertical end plate portion and having a first generally vertical aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means and a horizontal aperture portion above and connecting with the first vertical portion for reciprocal rotational movement of the locking pin and a second generally vertical aperture portion below and connecting with the horizontal aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means, the first and second vertical aperture portions and the horizontal aperture portion defining said slot, the outer end of the handle portion engaging the bottom of the first vertical aperture portion maintaining the locking pin in a retracted unlocked position, and the outer end of the handle portion alternately engaging the bottom of the second vertical portion maintaining the locking pin in an extended locked position, the bottom of each slot vertical aperture portion being below said pivot means and biasing means connecting with the housing and the handle portion outwardly of the pivot means in selectively urging the handle portion into the bottom one of the two vertical aperture portions of the cam slot.
 1. A coupler device for attaching a container corner casting to the chassis of a highway trailer comprising: a container locking housing, said housing including a top plate having an aperture for receiving a container locking pin therethrough, a vertically extending locking pin being mounted within the housing for vertical reciprocal motion having an enlarged head portion extending outwardly from the aperture, handle means within the housing and having pivot means within the housing pivotally connecting the locking pin, the pivot means and the enlarged head portion preventing removal of the locking pin from the housing, said housing including a vertical end plate portion having a cam portion, said cam portion including a cam slot and said handle means having a handle portion extending laterally out of the slot, said slot being of inverse generally U-shaped configuration on said vertical end plate portion and having a first generally vertical aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means and a horizontal aperture portion above and connecting with the first vertical portion for reciprocal rotational movement of the locking pin and a second generally vertical aperture portion below and connecting with the horizontal aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means, the first and second vertical aperture portions and the horizontal aperture portion defining said slot, the outer end of the handle portion engaging the bottom of the first vertical aperture portion maintaining the locking pin in a retracted unlocked position, and the outer end of the handle portion alternately engaging the bottom of the second vertical portion maintaining the locking pin in an extended locked position, the bottom of each slot vertical aperture portion being below said pivot means and biasing means connecting with the housing and the handle portion outwardly of the pivot means in selectively urging the handle portion into the bottom one of the two vertical aperture portions of the cam slot.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and said cam portion defining the first vertical aperture portion having a guide edge sloped upwardly toward said horizontal aperture portion and providing for reciprocal vertical guiding movement of the locking pin away from and toward the locked position.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said cam portion defining said horizontal aperture portion having a cam edge sloped downwardly away from said first vertical aperture portion toward said second vertical aperture portion enabling the hand portion to slide toward the second vertical portion and into the locked position.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, and said cam portion having a slant edge on the outer portion of the second vertical aperture portion, said slant edge sloping down and toward said first vertical aperture portion and providing for guiding of the handle means into the locking position, said slant edge being spaced above the bottom of said second vertical aperture portion.
 5. The invention according to claim 1, and said cam portion having an outwardly downwardly sloped edge at the end of the horizontal aperture portion adjacent the second vertical aperture portion and providing a bouncing wall to force the handle means back down to the locking position of the locking pin.
 6. The invEntion according to claim 1, and said cam portion between the horizontal aperture portion and the second vertical aperture portion defining a cam projection portion having an under surface edge in the second vertical aperture portion to prevent accidental unlocking of the locking pin.
 7. The invention according to claim 6, and said cam portion having a generally vertical outer contour edge in the lower outer part of the second vertical aperture portion adjacent the bottom thereof to assure confinement of the handle means in the locked position.
 8. The invention according to claim 6, and said cam edge projection portion having a downwardly outwardly sloped bounce edge to provide a bouncing wall to force the handle means back down to the locking position of the locking pin.
 9. A coupler device for attaching a container corner casting to the chassis of a highway trailer comprising: a container locking housing, said housing including a top plate having an aperture for receiving a container locking pin therethrough, a vertically extending locking pin being mounted within the housing for vertical reciprocal motion having an enlarged head portion extending outwardly from the aperture, handle means within the housing and having pivot means within the housing pivotally connecting the locking pin, the pivot means and the enlarged head portion preventing removal of the locking pin from the housing, said housing including a vertical end plate portion having a cam portion, said cam portion including a cam slot and said handle means having a handle portion extending laterally out of the slot, said slot being of inverse generally U-shaped configuration on said vertical end plate portion and having a first generally vertical aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means and a horizontal aperture portion above and connecting with the first vertical portion for reciprocal rotational movement of the locking pin and a second generally vertical aperture portion below and connecting with the horizontal aperture portion for reciprocal vertical movement of the handle means, the first and second vertical aperture portions and the horizontal aperture portion defining said slot, the outer end of the handle portion engaging the bottom of the first vertical aperture portion maintaining the locking pin in a retracted unlocked position, and the outer end of the handle portion alternately engaging the bottom of the second vertical portion maintaining the locking pin in an extended locked position, the bottom of each slot vertical aperture portion being below said pivot means, said cam portion defining the first vertical aperture portion having a guide edge sloped upwardly toward said horizontal aperture portion and said second vertical aperture portion and providing for reciprocal vertical guiding movement of the locking pin away from and toward the locked position. 